The term assistive technology means little to a mainstream audience however has become a very identifiable term within the disability sector. Over the past decade it has gradually become the umbrella term that represents assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities. The aim of assistive technologies is to extend people’s independence as much as possible by enabling them to perform tasks which would otherwise have been difficult.

By definition the term it is extremely broad and can incorporate equipment as varied as mobility devices, hearing augmentation, software and hardware for computer interfacing, even design and modification of the built environment, to name just a few.

Beyond the effective design of traditionally recognizable building elements however, what is its relevance to building designers, managers, owners, occupiers and the like, and what opportunities exist?

Previously much of the technology was customized to a particular group of users. This however appears to be changing quickly. Mobile devices and tablets are now being produced with alternative access options included at the point of sale. Alternatively, cheap and readily available apps and modifications can be applied to make mainstream mobile devices accessible to a much broader user group. With this so too does access to other mainstream assistive technologies.

Home and building automation is not a new concept but of course has very significant benefits for people with mobility, strength and movement difficulties. Switching on lights, televisions, and a whole host of other devices via a more usable interface assists people of varying needs to interact with their environments with greater freedom, ease and independence.

Significant building automation systems in the past have also often required extensive hard wiring making installation or retrofitting costly and often complicated. The proliferation, simplicity and availability of technologies such as Wi-Fi, Over IP (Internet Protocols) and radio wave have largely removed or at least significantly reduced this issue.

By extending these systems to include other devices such as varying types of receivers, actuators and motors a great deal can be achieved. The applications range enormously from operating doors, windows and blinds which were otherwise inaccessible, to automatically lighting paths to a destination in darker parts of a building; the later of course also having significant ESD and safety implications.

The recognition of governments and policy makers that an aging society will require far higher levels of health-care support into the future has encouraged many to embrace some of these concepts and technologies. Maintaining independence at home and within their existing social and physical environments may prevent or delay the need to move to a costly health care facility. In some instances it may reduce carer time required to support individuals in their existing environments. The idea of a Smart House has emerged as a result.

A smart home incorporates many of the ideas alluded to above but can extend to other areas which have implications to other building sectors such as aged care. Unobtrusive systems can be incorporated to monitor people’s health and wellbeing. This may include movement detectors at key times to assist with recognizing whether people have sustained a fall or an event which has made them immobile and at risk; emergency calls or alarms in the event that a gas stove has been left on or a bed has not been evacuated by a certain time; timers and alerts for important functions such as medications.

The concept of Telehealth also interacts with these systems in that people with various conditions are afforded better access to health professionals and other supports from their within their home, while also participating in other related activities. An example being that users will be able to test and record their vitals (e.g. sugar levels, blood pressure, etc.) and have it transmitted to the monitoring facility or organization, or in some instances a friend or relative if appropriate.

This is a rapidly evolving area which should see great innovation and growth in the years to come. The introduction of the NBN has encouraged some important discourse relating to Telehealth to emerge but the implications of course are far greater than Telehealth alone. Notwithstanding this, significant benefit can be achieved now with the right foresight, expertise and support.

George Xinos
Functional Access Solutions

“The Russians knew that Chernobyl was fatally flawed, even at the design stage” - Askold Krushelnycky, Prague, May 2003

Being safe is a universal interest to all people. However, as technology has advanced so too has the risk to health and safety through the consequential appearance of new hazards. The need to control these hazards has also evolved in order to continue being safe. Technological advances have extenuated the scale and effect of many old and well known hazards such as fire, as well as introduced relatively new hazards such as the relationship between the use of fossil fuels and atmospheric pollution, or the prevalence of automobiles raising road fatalities.   

Work Health and Safety legislation across most of Australia generally imposes a duty to designers to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that any building or structure is to be designed to be without risk to health and safety for the whole of its life cycle. Functions, activities and phases relating to a building’s life cycle vary significantly and can evolve with the building. These may include but not be limited to:

·        Varying the use for which the building or structure was initially designed;

·        Any handling and storage that occurs within the building;

·        Its construction;

·        Any foreseeable activity for which may be later applied;

·        The manufacture, assembly, commissioning and de-commissioning of the building or structure;

·        As well as its demolition and disposal.

The direction of the SiD process therefore extends well beyond just the occupants of the building. To effectively address the entire life cycle of a building, all the potential for harm to all persons involved in, or even affected by each of these phases must be suitably considered.

Work Health and Safety legislation is generally state based legislation, and variations therefore do occur between states. The fundamental premise of designer responsibility however is generally explicitly stated, or at least directly implied in all instances.

As a concept, SiD involves a planned and disciplined risk management approach early in the design to lessen potential hazards to all affected persons related to the facility or structure. It attempts to formalise an approach which is capable of considering safety systematically throughout the design process. It also provides a suitable process to document the safety-related decision making undertaken, and communicate the risks between the designer, operator and other stakeholders. This in turn fosters collaboration, with all stakeholders actively engaged in the process.

Responsibility for achieving a safe design ultimately rests with those who control or manage design functions. But how can this be accurately defined?  In practice, a diverse range of individuals are directly involved in decision making and therefore ultimately design and design outcomes. In essence, the architect/ engineer, client, developer, manufacturer, managers and directors can all be considered ‘designers’ if their decisions or guidance are a direct influence.

The benefits of implementing a SiD process are extensive and multifaceted. Intervention at the design phase has the greatest potential impact on the safety of the building or structure as the opportunity to eliminate risks is strongest at this phase. Attending to identifiable hazards at a later phase of the building’s life may only allow far less powerful mitigation strategies.

To designers, SiD provides a system to formally document a process demonstrating systematic risk management. To clients, cost savings may be found in preventing future retrofitting and downtime. Insurance premiums may be reduced as well as the risk of litigation. Occupiers may see benefits in reduced injury management interventions, increased useability, reduced maintenance costs, and improved productivity to name just a few. The benefits can extend exponentially depending on the effectiveness of the process implemented.


Andrew Angelides
Functional Risk Solutions

George Xinos
Functional Access Solutions